Snapshots
by Old Romantic
Summary: A series of one-shots, inspired by pictures drawn by txduck on LJ. Caskett fluff and mostly PWP. May continue indefinitely and sporadically, depending on when inspiration strikes for both of us.
1. Comfort

**Timeline/Spoilers:** Post-Always (4x23) / no future spoilers

**Disclaimer: **No copyright infringement intended. To date, I have published nothing for pay, and until I do, I write just for the fun of it. :)

**Summary:** Kate finds comfort in Rick's arms. Based on and inspired by **txduck**'s gorgeous drawing, entitled "Just Before the Dawn," which you can find at **random-ship DOT livejournal DOT com / 14967 DOT html** (no spaces). Please give _**her** _**ALL THE CREDIT** for the pictures, because I had nothing to do with those but follow her inspiration. :)

**A/N:** Fics 1 and 2 are sequential and can be considered a two-parter, but, depending on what **txduck** is inspired to draw next, each of the rest of these may stand alone. (Okay, technically Drawing #1 was the 2nd picture she did, but this one takes place first chronologically, so I'm switching them around for the sake of this series of one-shots.) I hope you enjoy the fruits of our combined imaginations! :D

Posting this unbeta'd (as I was too impatient to wait, lol), so mistakes are mine. :) Cross-posted at my LiveJournal, **emstories, **where you can also view the picture if the other link won't work for you (emstories DOT livejournal DOT com).

PS: I don't know if/when spoilers for next season are out, so I'll just make this warning now: This is a SPOILER-FREE ZONE. Please do not spoil me (or the other readers, just in case) in any way. Thank you!

Enjoy! :D

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**#1 – Comfort**

It hadn't taken much time for Kate to fall asleep that first night in Rick Castle's bed, though she was restless. She had nightmares of the fight she'd had on that roof that ended differently each time. As the night progressed, she nearly died in a few of the dreams, slipping from the building's edge before Ryan or sometimes Castle could even get to her. Twice, she woke up quivering from the sensation of falling. She brushed it off the first time, rolling over to keep from waking Rick, who was at least a foot away, sleeping soundly with his back to her. The second time, she convinced herself she was just chilly and went in search of something small and not too cumbersome to sleep in, surprised to find an old white tank-top of hers on a shelf in Rick's closet that she must've left behind during her short stay there a couple of years earlier. It was enough of a cover, since she really wasn't all that cold.

The third time she fell off the building in her dream, she saw the ground coming up so fast that it brought her to tears when she instantly awoke, and her soft cries that followed roused Rick from his sleep.

"Kate?" he whispered, since he couldn't see her in the dark.

"Sorry," she sniffed, trying to calm herself. "Bad dream."

"Oh. Want me to hold you?"

Normally, she'd feel weak for accepting comfort for such a silly reason, but right now, at this moment, she wanted nothing more. Without answering, she scooted closer and lay with her head on his chest, his arm around her, and her body curled against his side.

"Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "It's just what happened last night playing over and over again in my mind."

"Hm," he murmured in such a way that made her ask what was the matter. He answered, "I just didn't think that I was so bad in bed that you'd have nightmares about it."

His joke did the trick in making her laugh. She relaxed a bit more, burying her face in his bare chest and draping her arm further across him to his other side. She was quiet for several minutes, but knew he wasn't falling back asleep and was probably waiting to see if she wanted to talk. "I almost fell off a building last night," she softly admitted.

He squeezed her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "You said you almost died."

"Ryan caught me just in time," she nodded. "The funny thing is, I thought I heard _you_ coming for me when I was dangling off that roof, about to fall. I heard your voice. I called for you. You answered back. And then you weren't there."

"I wish I _had_ been there."

"No," she disagreed, "I had to figure out all on my own that it wasn't worth risking my life. I was too stubborn to listen to you, even though you were right. Finding my mother's killer won't bring her back. And in that moment, I realized I didn't want to die trying to accomplish that. I didn't…I don't want to lose you."

"I'm here, Kate," he whispered and kissed her head again.

"I feel better with your arms around me like this."

"Then I'll make sure I have them around you all night."

And he did.

When she woke up in the morning, before she even opened her eyes, Kate felt safe and warm. She was on her right side with Rick snugly up behind her, his arm securely around her ribs. It made her smile to know that not only was he keeping his promise, but that he was able to do it in his sleep. She could hear his soft snores and deep breaths with his face over her shoulder. It was also at that moment she realized the dreams had stopped when he'd begun to hold her.

She hated to move, but nature was calling and doing so fiercely, she had no choice. Moving slowly, she gently removed his arm from around her stomach first, placing it on his own thigh. Then she rolled to her stomach and peered over at him through her curtain of tangled hair. Because it was late morning, it was plenty light enough to see his handsome face, and she had to fight the urge to kiss him awake. She had to attend to a few things before indulging once more in his kisses, and the second thing included starting a pot of coffee.

A stealthy check of the apartment from Rick's bedroom door several minutes later proved that Alexis was either not yet home or was up in her room, so Kate chanced sneaking across the living room. She recalled that Rick had said his mother was in the Hamptons, so at least she didn't have to worry about her, too. Kate had put on one of Rick's big dress shirts over her short tank top and underwear, determined not to take long in the kitchen. She'd just get the coffee pot going and would hurry back to shower and dress before anyone could catch her. It wasn't that she was afraid of her new relationship with Castle being discovered by his daughter; she just didn't want to be discovered half-naked.

Kate was glad that she knew where most everything was, having spent that couple of days in his apartment before when her place had been bombed, so she was able to get the coffeepot all set up in no time at all. She'd just turned it on and pivoted to leave the kitchen when she saw Rick crossing the room in a pair of pajama pants, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Kate couldn't prevent a smile from breaking out on her face. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No," he said automatically, rounding the counter to approach her and slip an arm around her waist. "Okay, maybe. I reached for you, and you weren't there, and that woke me up, so, yeah, I guess you could say it was your fault."

She smirked and kissed him. "I needed coffee."

"I thought that had to be the only reason you'd leave my bed."

Kate chuckled, leaning into him contentedly. "We should get dressed before Alexis catches us—"

He shook his head. "I don't expect her until lunchtime." He turned and leaned his hips against the counter, pulling her comfortably against him, leaning in to kiss her. "We have the whole place to ourselves, at least for a couple of hours." He pecked her lips and then pulled away only enough for her to see that his eyebrow was raised playfully. "That's enough time to start christening every room in the house, starting with the kitchen."

"Ew," Kate laughed again, leaning back and away from him as he advanced. "_Anywhere_ but the kitchen."

"Ooo, and the lady accepts the challenge," he joked, catching her lips again.

The sound of a key in the lock was enough to jolt both of them from the kiss, though he assumed it was his daughter coming home a little earlier than expected; he peered unconcerned over his shoulder at the front door. She really hated that his bedroom was beyond the door and such a trek across the open living room, leaving them both trapped. There was nothing she could do but hide and hope that Alexis would go right upstairs to her room before noticing Kate was there and scantily-clad, her hair twisted and tied in a messy knot on the top of her head, leaving very little about what had transpired the night before to the imagination.

"Mother," Rick greeted in surprise when he turned and saw her come in, as Kate cowered behind his back, unsure if Martha would be easier or harder to confront in this predicament than Alexis.

"Oh, good morning, Richard, darling," Martha replied, coming in with her suitcase and closing the door behind her.

"What happened to going to the Hamptons?"

She sighed dramatically. "My friend, Barbara Schrimsher, was on her way to stay there with me when she got a call that her mother took a turn for the worst. She had to fly out to California to be by her side, and you know how I hate being in that big house all alone."

"Yes, I do, Mother."

"So, I thought I'd come home and cheer you up," she said lightly, setting her suitcase at the foot of the stairs. Then she stared at her son curiously. "Though you seem a bit happier now. You were so melancholy last night. Did something happen?" She apparently saw the stiff way he was standing. "Are you…hiding something?" she asked, trying to see around him.

"Only a certain Detective Kate Beckett behind my back." He squeaked out an "ow!" when Kate pinched the back of his waist, but she knew it was pointless to hide anymore.

She stepped out sheepishly and offered a timid smile. "Hi, Martha."

Martha cheered and clapped gleefully, and she hurried over to hug her. "Well, that explains the change in Richard's mood," she chuckled. Leaning back in their hug, she told Kate, "I can't say I'm all that surprised, though I am surprised it took this long."

Kate glanced up at Rick to note that he was smiling proudly, even as he possessively put his arm around her waist. "I don't care how long it took," he revealed, staring down at her. "I'm just glad the wait is over."

"Well," Martha clapped once, making a decision. "I suppose I'll just repack my bag and get out of here to give you two some privacy. Oh," she suddenly remembered, "but Alexis will be home before too long. Perhaps you two should be the ones to go to the Hamptons for the weekend."

Rick immediately liked the idea of being alone with her and looked to Kate for her opinion. "What do you think?"

"Your…beach house?" she asked hesitantly. He'd offered to take her there once before, but it had been too early on in their relationship, and she'd been too confused about what she really wanted at the time. Before that, she'd heard of his beach house in the Hamptons on fan-based websites and had wondered what it was like for far too long, although she wasn't certain if her interest was as his friend or merely as a fan who was curious enough to see his other secret lair.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just for the weekend. I promise to have you back in time for work on Monday morning."

"Oh, s-sure," she spit out. "Though, um, I don't have to be back Monday. I don't…I'm not a detective anymore."

"What?"

Kate looked between their two confused and shocked faces and explained, "Gates put me on administrative leave, and instead of accepting that consequence…I resigned."

Martha's eyes widened, and Rick's mouth dropped open, but it was the elder woman who apologetically took her leave. "It seems you two have a lot to discuss. Have a wonderful trip, and don't worry a bit about Alexis and me. We'll do just fine until whenever you decide to return." She hugged Kate again and smiled, lightly tapping her cheek. "Kate, welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Martha."

Rick continued to study Kate's face until his mother was out of earshot up the stairs. "You quit?"

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I told you, when that guy got away, I didn't care anymore."

"Yeah, but…I thought you were just talking about your mom's case. You walked away from your job, too?"

"Don't try to make me regret it, Castle. I did what I felt was right." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought you'd be thrilled that I'm not risking my life anymore."

"I am," he shrugged, the look of concern still on his face despite the casual acceptance of the news. She realized then what he was worried about when he said, "As long as you didn't do it for me."

She reached up and cupped his cheek. "I did it for me. _And_ for us."

He kissed her and then asked, "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," she shook her head and smiled. "I'll take some time to think. I have some money saved up; I might go back to school… I'm in no hurry to decide."

"Good," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and locking his hands low on her back. "Then, how about we take the next month and spend it in the Hamptons? Mother and Alexis can come up for July 4th, and then we'll decide what we're going to do when we get back here."

"We?"

He shrugged again. "We're in this together now, aren't we?"

She remembered his words from the night, _I'm here, Kate,_ and knew he was essentially saying the same thing again. It made her grateful to feel so overwhelmed with his love. Was it really possible for someone to love her this much?

She couldn't find the words to push past her tight throat, so she just nodded, reaching up to kiss him again, hoping it would be enough and sure that it would be for now. One day she'd have the nerve to speak her heart, and until then, she was assured that Rick was patient enough to wait just a little bit longer.

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_Reviews are love! :)_


	2. Lazy Afternoon

**Disclaimer: **No copyright infringement intended. To date, I have published nothing for pay, and until I do, I write just for the fun of it. :)

**Summary:** #2 in the Snapshots series. A lazy afternoon. Based on and inspired by **txduck**'s gorgeous picture, entitled "Their New Normal," found at **random-ship DOT livejournal DOT com / 14733 DOT html**. Also posted at my Fic!Journal, **emstories **(emstories DOT livejournal DOT com).

**A/N:** This is the last one for now, or at least until/if/when **txduck** is inspired to draw more. Again, give _**HER**_** ALL the credit **for the pictures, 'cause she's awesome and totally deserves it. :)

Again, I'm far too impatient to have this beta'd, so mistakes are all mine.

Remember! This is a SPOILER-FREE ZONE. Please do not spoil me for future eps (even casting). Thank you!

Enjoy! :)

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**#2 – Lazy Afternoon**

Rick and Kate waited for Alexis to come home to share the news of the change in their relationship and say goodbye to her and his mother, and then they were off to the Hamptons, stopping by Kate's apartment long enough for her to pack a bag.

The house was everything Kate had expected for Rick Castle's vacation home, and yet, it was so much more. Three spacious bedrooms and a fourth that Castle used as an office, lightly painted and decorated walls throughout, large windows bringing in a lot of natural light, a ton of open space, and a view of the ocean from the kitchen, den, pool, and deck that took her breath away. It had far surpassed her imagination.

The first week there was spent in blissful vacation time, relaxing or walking on the beach, shopping and eating out, swimming or sitting by the pool. Kate was sure she'd never want to return to the city. By the next Saturday, she was content with the lifestyle of living with one very popular and wealthy author, knowing she had inadvertently snagged one of New York City's most eligible bachelors right from under the noses of those debutantes, a few of whom she'd met since arriving at the beach with him. She'd recognized the jealous expressions on several women's faces – young and old alike – that she'd met and knew that she'd captured the heart of a man that many of his neighbors had hoped to snag for themselves, their daughters or granddaughters. The thought that she hadn't even really tried – concerned that it was just her infatuation with him as a fan that had been leading her heart for some time – and won him anyway, made her smile.

"You seem happy," Rick noted when they were lazily making their way down the beach. Hand-in-hand, they were both barefoot, but he was in a t-shirt and jeans while she wore a yellow sundress that accentuated her curves.

"I am," she admitted, hugging his arm with her free hand as well. "I was just thinking… Back when I was just a fan of your books, I never imagined I'd be here with you one day."

He nodded, somehow understanding her to mean that she'd known about his beach house long before he'd invited her there. And that brought up another question in his mind. But he knew he'd have to ask it just right to keep her from clamming up and discover the truth. "Kate, you love me, don't you?"

She smiled in embarrassment, since she had yet to say the words back to him, although he'd spoken them to her more than a handful of times and at least once a night. "Castle."

"Okay," he held up his free hand in surrender. "No pressure. But…you do at least care for me." He'd stated it only because he knew it was true.

She met his eyes. "You know I do."

Stopping them, he stepped in front of her and held both of her hands. "Then, tell me honestly…" He paused, and Kate swallowed hard. "How big of a fan of mine are you?"

Pursing her lips, Kate held back a grin. "I don't have to answer that."

"I know you were one of my followers on my blog, my website, my Twitter and Facebook, and all of that before we met, but…what else don't I know?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "You've figured it all out."

She tried to step around him, but he held her fast. "Uh-uh, you're hiding something."

"No, I'm not, Castle. There's nothing else to tell." She was starting to feel giggly, which only cemented his belief that she was lying, and she knew it. After a bit more argument on the subject, Kate found her opportunity, slipped from his hands, and took off running down the beach, laughing and looking over her shoulder as Rick chased her.

He caught her waist a few hundred feet down the beach (not that she was really trying to get away), and their tangled footing and the momentum of the chase made them tumble to the ground. Laying atop her with her back against the sand, Rick pinned her down with her hands above her head and asked her again what she did as a fan. She shook her head, laughingly refusing to answer. That's when he began the tickle torture.

"Did you ever come to a book signing?" he asked once she was begging for mercy.

"Yes!" she gave in.

"How long did you wait in line? An hour? Two hours?" he continued tickling.

"Three, okay?"

"Oh, a dedicated fan, then. Okay, answer this one, and I'll let you go. Did you ever write me any fan mail?"

Kate _really_ didn't want to answer that one, and she was so going to make him pay for this torture later, though that would be much more fun, and it would be worth enduring this now.

Judging her silence, he made his own assumptions. "Oh, you _did_, didn't you? I'll bet you were one of the naughty ones who sent me your panties!"

"I was not! I only offered my gratitude! I never sent anything except—"

"Except what?" he tickled again, but by now, Kate's ribs were sensitive to his touch, and honestly, she was becoming more aroused by the second, which was not good, considering they were on a community beach, even if it wasn't inhabited at the moment.

"Flowers when you were in the hospital!" she breathed, knowing she'd have to confess to get him to stop, so they could go back to his house, and…

He stopped abruptly, and pushed up and away from her slightly, his smile fading as he asked, "_You_ sent those?"

"Yeah, right, Castle," she smirked as she calmed and caught her breath. "I know you don't remember that."

"Yeah, I do," he argued. "I was in the hospital passing a kidney stone, it was a blurb on the local news, I think, and that was the only bouquet I got that wasn't from my mother, Alexis, or one of my ex-wives – which one, I can't remember now, but it probably Gina, since she was my publisher even back then."

"I'm sure you got plenty of flowers from fans."

"I thought I would too!" he complained, making her laugh, though he was serious. "You might be surprised, but I didn't. I got a few 'Get Well' cards, but yours were the only flowers."

Kate searched his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. "I can't believe you remember that."

"How could I forget it? Kate…" He seemed at a loss for words, knowing she'd been so attentive to him long before they ever met, so he bent and kissed her deeply, but briefly. "I think I just fell in love with you again."

His body pressed against hers in the sand as he kissed her lips and cheeks and neck, Kate knew they'd have to move and soon. "Don't love me so much here in public, Rick," she breathlessly warned, his physical attention causing her mind to switch back to his given name. "Let's go back to the house."

When at first they'd hurried, the long walk back soon became relaxed again, with Kate leaning her head on his shoulder, their hands clasped, and her free arm possessively around his bicep. They made casual conversation about local shopping and attractions, eventually deciding that they didn't want to go out to a restaurant as previously planned and instead decided to order in. "I think I'd like to write for a while before dinner, if that's okay with you," he told her when they'd reached the stairs to the back deck.

"Yeah, that's fine. I like not having any plans for a change, just enjoying a lazy afternoon."

Once inside the house, Rick retrieved his laptop from his office while Kate got them each a glass of lemonade, which she set on the end table to Rick's left next to the couch in the living room. He saw that she'd set her glass down too and wondered, "You joining me?"

For some reason, she hadn't been far from his side all week, though she couldn't understand it herself. Normally a loner, there was something refreshing with the idea of being with him every minute, for every activity. It hadn't made either of them uncomfortable or eager to be apart, and she knew that wasn't implied in his hopeful inquiry now. If either of them were to eventually pull away from the other, they both knew it would be Kate that would retreat first. He didn't seem to mind either way, so, for now, she'd make the most of the closeness she desired for as long as it lasted.

"I'll read a book and be quiet," she promised with a smile, answering his query. She made sure to see the delight in his eyes before heading off to the master bedroom to retrieve one of the books she'd grabbed from her apartment before they left the city.

She was back in a few minutes and stretched out on the couch on her back, using his thigh as a pillow, when she heard him snort and chuckle. "What?" she questioned slyly, knowing exactly what he was snickering at. She was holding the hard-bound copy of his latest published, Nikki Heat novel, _Frozen Heat, _that he'd not only given her, but had dedicated to and signed the title page for her.

"I like your choice of reading material. Is it good?"

"It's delightfully entertaining," she shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant about it. In all honesty, there was something romantic in the idea that she was reading words in a book that he'd written, and most of them for her, inspired by her. Every word seemed to ooze his love for her, from his heart to his laptop to her books. To sit beside him while he wrote words she'd someday read and love like the ones she was enjoying now made her feel even closer to him. She loved that about their relationship; even if it was new to hug and hold and kiss him, the words and his love had been there between them, in a tangible way, printed on those pages, for quite a long time. Her love, too, even if she had yet to confess it.

"And what do you think of the author?" he continued their playful conversation.

She flipped to the back of the book where Rick's smiling black-and-white portrait graced the page and ran her fingers across the photo, pushing back the memories of how many times she'd done that before she'd actually met him. They had plenty of time ahead for her to confess _everything_. "He's kinda cute," she teased, staying on topic.

"Only 'kind of?'"

"Well…" she voiced, intending to tease, but finding it a good opportunity to finally speak her heart. It began to pound as she stared blankly at the pages and quietly revealed, "I love him, anyway. I hope he knows that."

Rick knew it had taken a lot for her to speak the words, and he respected her quiet reserve on the subject, even if he honestly did just want to celebrate with cheers and kisses. He managed to remain composed, as she focused again on the book's pages, casually propping his elbow on the cushion of the couch. There he held his temple with his fingertips with his left hand to continue scrolling through what he'd recently written with his right, trying not react in a way that would scare her and make her retreat or recant her words. Those special words of love.

Taking a breath to calm his joyful heart, he softly replied, "He does now."

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_Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! :)_


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